In 1882 Edward H. Johnson, who worked for Thomas Edison’s Illumination Company used “80 small red, white and blue electric bulbs, strung together along a single power cord, to light the Christmas tree in his New York home” This was the first ever use of electric lights in a Christmas tree. In 1895 President Grover Cleveland ordered the electric lights for the White House tree. By 1903 General Electric began selling Christmas-light kits for wide spread domestic consumption.*
Holiday electric lighting has come a long way from its humble beginnings just a century ago. Some of my favorite winter light are found across Europe. The first Chrismas I spent in Paris I was awestruck. Below are some of my favorite images. Just click on your favorite image to see an enlarged more detailed picture.
Each year there is a light spectacular along the exterior wall at the Galeries Lafayette. Image below seen from the Boulevard Haussmann. In past years it has been covered with well over 100,000 lights. Image from the Huffington Post.
In London, The London School of Commerce arranged a festive London Walk on campus with trees filled with spheres of light.
The lights of Germany illuminate the German Christmas markets. Image from The Telegraph.
In Venice electric stars fill the sky over the Canal Grande. Image from venezialberghi.net
In Murano a christmas tree made from illuminated bottles. Image from walks of Italy.
In Venice California a house aglow with lights. Image from flickr…
Below are some light options to help you get your lighting project done, you are interested in a particular item, there is an embedded link in each picture below to make it convenient for you to click on the item and get for your next event, be it christmas, new years, a wedding, or a festive party.
String lights are great for wrapping around tree branches…
If you desire colors…
In a net form to drape along bushes…
To suspend spheres in your trees try…
For a finer look with copper wiring to be used indoors or out…
Feature image: From Architectural Digest Vienna Magic of Advent and Christmas Market Vienna’s towering neo-Gothic architecture makes it a picturesque winter destination to begin with, but add a light-filled holiday market brimming with tasty treats and creative gifts and you’ve got a real-life gingerbread village. The annual Viennese Christmas market is located in front of City Hall. Open through December 26. Photo: Volker Preusser
*From Wired by Tony Long
Beautiful pictures.
Stunning.